Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Queensgarden in the back of the Queens house. All of the cottages have gardens planted in the back.

This is part two of a series of post about the fabulous Hameau de la Reine on the grounds of Versailles. Today I’m taking you back to the 18th century to the House and Hamlet of the Queen. As I said in the earlier postMarie Antoinette was better suited as a bourgeois house wife instead of a Queen. Marie Antoinette was happiest at the Hameau compared to the stuffy court of Versailles. It was at her lovely Hameau that she played this role well. Away from the peering eyes at Versailles where her every move was watched, her every word was heard and often taking out of context, and used against her. At Versailles Marie Antoinette had to eat in public, dress in public even wakeup in public. Eyes always watching her. On the grounds of her Petit Trianon and the Hameau Marie Antoinette could be her self.

The interior of the Grand Salon in the Queens house. Not open to the public because of the condition of the building. I was fortunate to go inside of the Queens house some years ago with the Marie Antoinette Association. It is since being restored. This room was original hung with wool tapestries in the Swiss style.

A 1920 photo of the Queens Grand Salon shows the early 19th century Empire decorated painted paneling done over by Marie Antoinette’s niece and Napoleons 2th wife Marie-Louise of Austria

The Queen's House. The banisters of the staircases, galleries and balconies were adorned with blue and white earthenware pots of Saint-Clement containing hyacinths, quarantaine flowers, wallflowers or geraniums.

By Order of the Queen guests at her estate were instructed not to stop talking and not to rise from their seats when their Sovereign entered the room.

Etiquette ruled Versailles but the Saint of the Petit Trianon and the Hameau was the free thinking Enlightenment of Rousseau! She was fascinated by Rousseau's "back to nature" philosophy, as well as the culture of the Incas of Peru and their worship of the sun, about which she had books in her library. The place was completely enclosed by fences and walls, and only intimates of the Queen were allowed to access it. Marie Antoinette was the only Queen to impose her personal taste on Versailles, sweeping away the old court and its ancient traditions. Marie Antoinette dressed her children in a relaxed modern fashion. At the time the clothing of the children of the aristocracy resembled that of there parents in almost every detail. Marie Antoinette outfitted Madame Royale in the sample free flowing muslin gaulles that she had made popular herself. The young princes in sailor suits.

To the left, another building housing the billiard room is connected to the Queen's house by a wooden gallery decorated with trellises and twelve hundred St. Clement faience pots, marked in the blue figures of the Queen.

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Marie Antoinette à la Rose, 1783.

Dauphin Louis Joseph Xavier of France in a Sailor suit

Built between 1783-1787 in a pretty spot not far from the Petit Trianon. Marie Antoinette’s village the Hameau was a place where Marie Antoinette and her family could have a type of free lifestyle in nature among the perfumed fields of wild flowers. Flocks of sheep & cows. The could feed the birds in the dovecote and henhouse and eat freshly picked cherries and strawberries from the gardens behind the cottages and drink fresh milk from Royal Sevres porcelain cups supposedly molded from the Queens own breasts.

A niche de chien for the the Queen's dog to keep snug and warm on a cold rainy day. It was made by Claude Sené.

The Queen's house and billiard room

The twelve cottages constructed in the hamlet can be divided into two groups: five were reserved for use by the Queen; the other seven had a functional purpose and were used effectively for agriculture. Marie Antoinette had her own house, connected to the pool. Nearby was her boudoir. The mill and the dairy received frequent visits from the Queen. To set the desired tone of humbled poverty to the Village. The painters Tolede and Dardignac decorated the dozen little houses with painted imitation cracks, splits and false half-timbering and bricks and rotten wood painted on to the exterior stucco. Nine of the original 12 buildings are still standing today

The Queen's house and billiard room

The Queen's house and billiard room is located in the centre of the hamlet. Consisting of two floors, the upper level comprises the petit salon, also known as the "room of the nobles", an anteroom in the form of a "Chinese cabinet" and the large living room with wood paneling hung with tapestries of Swiss style in embroidered wool. From the room's six windows, the Queen could easily control the work fields and activity of the hamlet. Access is via the staircase of the round tower. At the center of the room is a harpsichord which Marie Antoinette loved to play. On the ground floor, paved with single slabs of stone, the building includes a backgammon room and a dining room. The lyre-backed chairs in mahogany lined with green morocco, were created by Georges Jacob. To the left, another building housing the billiard room is connected to the Queen's house by a wooden gallery decorated with trellises and twelve hundred St. Clement faience pots, marked in the blue figures of the Queen. Upstairs, a small apartment which seems to have been inhabited by the architect Richard Mique, has five rooms including a library. Despite the rustic appearance of facades, the interior finish and furnishings are luxurious and have been created by the carpenter Georges Jacob and the ébénisteJean-Henri Riesener.

The Queen's house and billiard room

If you click on this photo you can see the detail of the painters Tolede and Dardignac. They decorated the dozen little houses with painted imitation cracks, splits, blocks of stone and false half-timbering and bricks and rotten wood painted on to the exterior stucco.

The Queens garden in the back of the Queens house. All of the cottages have gardens planted in the back.

The Queens garden in the back of the Queens house. All of the cottages have gardens planted in the back.

Each building is decorated with a garden, an orchard or a flower garden.

The Queens garden in the back of the Queens house. All of the cottages have gardens planted in the back.

The Queen's house and billiard room

If you click on this photo you can see the detail of the painters Tolede and Dardignac. They decorated the dozen little houses with painted imitation cracks, splits, blocks of stone and false half-timbering and bricks and rotten wood painted on to the exterior stucco.

The Queen's house and billiard room

If you click on this photo you can see the detail of the painters Tolede and Dardignac. They decorated the dozen little houses with painted imitation cracks, splits, blocks of stone and false half-timbering and bricks and rotten wood painted on to the exterior stucco.

The Mill, built and fitted from 1783 to 1788, was never used for grinding grain, contrary to what is often argued. The wheel is driven by a stream derived from the Grand Lake and is only a decorative element. No mechanism or wheel were installed in the factory. The interior decoration was simple and neat.

If you click on this photo you can see the detail of the painters Tolede and Dardignac. They decorated the dozen little houses with painted imitation cracks, splits, blocks of stone and false half-timbering and bricks and rotten wood painted on to the exterior stucco.

The Polonaise style dress made famous by Marie Antoinette had a much higher hemline that that of the robes worn at court. It exposed the wearer’s feet and ankles; a feature that allowed for more freedom on romps through Trianon’s rolling fields.

The Hameauof the Queen contained a meadowland with lakes and streams, a classical Temple of Love on an island with fragrant shrubs and flowers

A part hosted by the Queen in 1777 to celebrate the completion of the Temple of Love cost 400,000 livres. Marie Antoinette had built a temporarily constructed village & square that had fairgrounds and marketplace supplied with food and drink stands. Drinks were poured by ladies of the court, while Marie Antoinette served lemonade. At night 2,300 lanterns glowed from the gardens. The Royal Guard dressed in Chinese costume played music for dancing.

The statue of Cupid fashioning a bow from Hercules' club under the dome of the Temple of Love

"Cupid carving his bow from the club of Hercules" after the original by Edmé Bouchardon 1750 (Louvre) or the copy by Laurent Guiard 1786

Cupid carving his bow from the club of Hercules

Cupid carving his bow from the club of Hercules

Count Axel von Fersen close friend to Marie Antoinette & Frequent guest of the Petit Trianon and the Hameau

Lock of Marie Antoinette's hair

Marie Antoinette in 'gaulle,' a simple muslin dress

One of Marie Antoinette’s favorite dresses to ware at the Trianon and Hameau was a white muslin shift known as the gaulle. This dress was copied by Bertin Marie Antoinette’s dressmaker from the Creoles and the French colonialists wives fashion as they were not able to wear silk in the Caribbean heat.

This simple white dress has a ruffled neckline with puffy sleeves held up by colorful ribbon and a wide ribbon sash at the waist. Toped by a white bonnet of wide brimmed strawhat.

One primary purpose of the hameau was to add to the ambiance of the Petit Trianon, giving the illusion that it was deep in the countryside rather than within the confines of Versailles.

The Hameauof the Queen contained a meadowland with lakes and streams, a classical Temple of Love on an island with fragrant shrubs and flowers

The rose is the Traditional Hapsburg symbol

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Marie Antoinette, 1785.

Not far from the Hameau is Marie Antoinette’s Grotto also known as the “Queens Rock”

Marie Antoinette was in this Grotto in 1789 reading when she got word that the mob from Paris was approaching Versailles. She would leave the grounds of the Hameau never to return.

Inside of the Grotto also known as the “Queens Rock” was a place to sit carved into the stone. The place where Marie Antoinette was reading a book when she heard news of the mob approaching Versailles. { I have photo’s of me sitting here} Inside of this small man-made Grotto there are openings where one can look out and not be seen, theses natural looking openings in the rock allows fresh air to flow in as well as sunlight. A waterfall within keeps the mossy interior cool during the Summer months.

The place where Marie Antoinette was reading a book when she heard news of the mob approaching Versailles.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

My book Souvenirs of Travelcirca 1857 proudly displayed on the top of my Empire dresser

A few days after Christmas I had decided to visit one of the used books stores in Mobile, Alabama that I go to once a month or so. If it’s one thing I can’t get enough of is books. Plus this place has good prices on Antique books. Once there I always go for the glass front bookcase that has rare and valuable books of local interest to Mobile, Alabama. I was Surprised to find volume 1 of Souvenirs of Travel (1857), inside of the case written by one of Mobile leading citizens of the mid 19th century, Madam Le Vert.

As I eyed the ornate Antebellum pressed clothbound 1857 book thru the glass I thought about how as a child before the age of ten this book along with it’s mate volume 2 were at the top of my list of books to own for many reasons. As I peered at the book, I wondered if I could afford it as the price was on the back of the book. I had some Christmas money, which is what I like best for Christmas so that I could buy things that I liked or wanted like this book if it was priced right.

The case is never locked and visitors are welcome to open it. Before I open the glass case door I said a little prayer. I opened the door slowly, picked up the book and turned it over. The price was $49.00 on a bright yellow sticker. I did not think twice about buying it as the one volume is priced from $250-$350 on abebooks. The set of two books priced from $900-$1,350. Nobody had to tell me I was getting a great deal that day. I ran to the front counter to place it in safety so no one else would pick up my find as I finished looking around the bookshop. So Much has been written about Madam Le Vert and I had read parts of her books detailing her two fabulous European travels of the 1850’s, but now I can read a first edition book published right here in Mobile by a early southern publisher. This book purchased with Christmas money will become one of my most admired possessions. Here is some info about Madam Le Vert and her life and I have also included the publisher’s forward by Sigismund Heinric Goetzel himself in 1857. It is in the front of the book.

Octavia Celestia Valentine Walton in her 1833 debutante portrait painted by America’s top portrait painter at the time Thomas Sully in Philadelphia.

Madam Le Vert was one of the best known women of the 1850’s. She was Born Octavia Celestia Valentine Walton on the 18th of August 1810, at Belle Vue a family home near Augusta, Georgia; died also at Belle Vue 12 March 1877, near Augusta, Georgia

She was the daughter of George Jr. and Sally Walker Walton; married a French American Henry Strachey Le Vert, 1836 in Mobile, Alabama. Proud that Henry’s father had come with Rochambeau to aid the struggling colonies.

Octavia Walton Le Vert seemed destined by parentage and by place and year of birth to not only become a Southern belle but a Belle international fame. Her intelligence, education, vivacity, and wealth suited her to be also a cosmopolitan hostess and traveler. She played both roles flawlessly. Her life began and ended at Belle Vue, the estate of her grandfather George Walker. Her paternal grandfather, one of Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence, was George Walton, and her father was acting governor and territorial secretary of Florida at Pensacola. And latter the family moved to Mobile Alabama where her father became Mayor.

Le Vert's mother and her grandmother carefully groomed and tutored the child for an aristocratic life that she would live. She learned to sing, dance, paint, draw and play the piano and guitar. As child and as adult, she read widely. Her facility for language allowed her Scotch tutor to teach her Greek, Latin, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. By the time she was twelve years old, she was so adept at language she could translate foreign dispatches for her father in Pensacola. When Lafayette visited the Waltons in 1825, the young Octavia delighted him with her conversation in French. In Pensacola, Le Vert knew the Seminoles who negotiated with her father. From them she learned the Native American language and legends.

Madam Octavia Walton Le Vert at the time of her European travels

Le Vert was well traveled in the U.S. and Europe. During the summer months the family would travel up North to spend time at fashionable resorts in town like Saratoga Springs, NY. When the young Edgar Allan Poe met Octavia he feel in love with her, wrote her a love poem. Her 1833 debutante portrait was painted by America’s top portrait painter at the time Thomas Sully in Philadelphia. She met and charmed people with power and position. In Washington, D.C., she visited President Jackson at the White House and was a good friend of Senator Henry Clay. In 1835, the Walton family moved to Mobile, Alabama, where George Walton later served as mayor. There, as a volunteer nurse, Le Vert met a handsome French physician whom she married in 1836. They had five children, several of whom died as children. In Mobile, Le Vert established what was perhaps the only French-styled salon in America. On her "Mondays," she received the social elite and persons distinguished in the arts and politics from eleven in the morning until eleven at night.

She loved the theater and knew many of the outstanding actors of the day. Particular friends were Edwin and John Booth, Joseph Jefferson, and Anna Cora Mowatt. In the 1850’s Madame became an enthusiastic supporter of the movement to save the deteriorating home of George Washington, Mount Vernon, and was appointed the first Alabama Vice-Regent of Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Madam Le Vert was always a proponent of woman’s rights when this view was unpopular.

The Home of Madam Le Vert located at 151 Goverment street in Mobile, Alabama

Le Vert established what was perhaps the only French-styled salon in America. On her "Mondays," she received the social elite and persons distinguished in the arts and politics from eleven in the morning until eleven at night.

When war between the states came, Le Vert, who had opposed secession from the Union which her grandfather had help to establish and had always felt that slavery was wrong, remained in Mobile and welcomed Yankees into her home, some of whom had been friends with in happier days. Public opinion turned against her, and she was denounced as a "Yankee spy." By the end of the Civil War, her husband was dead and their money gone. For a time, she traveled and gave public readings, spending time in New York she became a charter member of “Sorosis” said to be the first woman’s club in America. But soon she returned to Belle Vue where she died.

Souvenirs of Travel (1857), compiled from her journals and letters home to her mother, is Le Vert's account of two trips to Europe in 1853 and 1855, during which she was received by Queen Victoria and Pope Pius IX, presented to Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie, escorted in Paris by ex-President Millard Fillmore, and introduced to Robert and Elizabeth Browning.

The book glorifies the Old World with sentimental descriptions of notable people and famous places. Le Vert was an accomplished linguist. For instance, in her diary she wrote about translating Dante's descent into hell into three languages one afternoon for her own enjoyment. Souvenirs was read by some important people who wrote to Le Vert thanking her for a copy of the book or complimenting her on it. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edwin Booth, Washington Irving, and President James Buchanan were among her admirers.

As I bought this as a Christmas gift for myself I realized that it was originally presented as a Christmas gift in 1857.

About Me

I'm a antique dealer and Historical Folk artist. I created this blog to document and highlight my artwork along with my day to day life as a Artist, Antique dealer and collector. My favorite two periods in history are France's Ancien Régime, the time of French Queen Marie Antoinette 1770-1789 and the antebellum period of the American South 1830-1860. Both of theses periods ended tragically with war. I intend to explore furniture, architecture, decorative arts, culture, history, fashion and the people that made up these two fascinating periods in time. I recently moved back to my roots of Mobile, Alabama after living away for 17 years. Come and explore the restoration of my turn-of-the century Art's and crafts bungalow into a Antebellum show place.